Lock mechanism



.July 7, 1925. L54546 E. EPsTExN LOCK MEGHANISM Filed Dec. 16, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ILV Patented ,luly 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES ELI EPSTEIN, F STANFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE YALE & TOWNE 'MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

or 's'raiaronn CONNECTICUT.

LOCK MECISM.

Application filed December 16, 1922. Serial No. 607,340.

To all whom 'it-may concern:

yBe it known that l, ELT ErsrEIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of4 others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in lock mechanism and more particularly to such as embody cylinder lock mechanism,- one object of the invention being to provide a cylinder lock which shall be non-pickable.

A further object is to so construct a cylinder lock that pin tumblers such as heretofore commonly employed in cylinder locks shall be displaced by tumblers of a different construction and which cannot be set to unlocking positions with the use of a picking tool of any type, and vto so'construct the mechanism that the tumblers may readily loe-made adaptable for operation with the use of a master key if desired, and so that the tumblers may be made interchangeable so that they may be arranged for operation by L a Specially made key for each lock.

A further object is to so construct a cylinder lock embodying rotatable disk tumblers, that keys of the type heretofore employed-.in the operation of pin-tumbler locks may be utilized.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter. set forth and pointed out in l the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a view of a mortise` lock (with the cover plate removed) showing an application of my invention;

p the line 5 5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view 0n the line 6-6 of Figure 2, showing the parts in locking position;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a sectional view similar toI Figure 6 showing the parts in unlocking positlon;

Figure 9 isadetail view of the sleeve 19;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the fence,

Figure 11 is a detail view of the head piece for the inner end of the fence-carrying sleeve, and

Figure 12 is a sectional view showing the forward positions of the tumbler structure and fence carrier.

lIn Figure 1 of the drawings, I have shown the application of my improvements to a mortise lock which, in the embodiment here shown, comprises a casing 1 having bolt and latch mechanism mounted therein, said mechanism including a bolt member 2 and a latchmember 3. As here shown, the bolt is provided with a talon 4, and a tumbler 5 with which the operating member of the cylinder lock cooperates. rlhe latch 3 is normally pressed forwardly ,by a spring 6 and the spindle 7 of the latch is provided with a head 8 with which the knob-operated mechanism shown at 9 cooperates. A springpressed lever 10 is pivoted to the bolt mem, ber 2 and provided at its free end with lateral arms 11 and 12. A bell-crank 13 is pivotally mounted intermediate of the bolt and latch membersV-onet arm 14 of said bellcrank being adapted to cooperate with the head 8 on the latch spindle and the other arm of saidbell-cr'ank-provides a cam 15 engaged by the arm l2 of the lever 10,-the arm 11 of said lever being adapted to be engaged by the operating device actuated by the cylinder lock mechanism, as more fully hereinafter explained.

My improved cylinder lock mechanism .includes a shell or casing 16 to pass through a suitable opening in a door as is customary with the application of cylinder locks and a portion of said shell or casing may be threaded, as at 17 to be screwed through a suitable opening in the lock casing l, and held in xed position by a boltl 18 as clearly shown in Figure 1. The main casing 16' contains a sleeve 19 which is fixed within said casing by screw 20 as shown in Figure i ,545,046 `PATENT FFicEo end of the casing 16 and sleeve 19 to form a pin 21 for a purpose hereinafter explained. The interior ixed sleeve 19 is provided with a slot 22 to receive a fence 23, and in said slot, a light spring 24 is located to bear against said fence. A revoluble key plate 25 carries a centrally located post 26, and a lplurality of disk tumblers 27 are mounted to rotate about said post,-said tumblers being separated Jfrom each other by/spacers 28 and said tumblers and spacers are provided with gatings 29 and 30 respectively for the reception of the fence. A tube 31 passes through holes located centrally in the tumblers and spacers and said tube is mounted on the post 26. The tumblers and spacers are located between end plates 32 and 33 on the tube 31,-the plate 33 having central wrench receiving enlargement 34 on the inner end of said tube and a headed screw 35 enters the inner end of the post 26. The spacers 28 of the tumbler mechanism are prevented from turning by means of a pin 36 which passes'through them at one side of their axes-said pin being made fast atone end to the end plateK 33 and projecting at its front end into a socket 37 in the key plate 25. The pin also passes through segmental slots 38 with which the several` tuinblers 27 are provided. Springs 39 are located in the slots 38 of the tumblers and each of said springs bears at one end against one end of the slot in which it is located and at the other end against the pin 36,-said springs 39 thus acting normally to so turn the tumblers as to cause their gatings to stand ont of line'with each other and out of line with the gatings of the spacers. The several tumblers are provided with key slots` 40 to receive a key passed through the key slot V41 in the key plate 25 and the spacers are also provided with suitable key slots which normally align with the key slot in `the key plate 25. The key slots in the tumblers are so shaped and proportioned that when a proper key (which latter may have a construction similar to keys used with pintumbler locks) is inserted and caused to pass through them, said tumblers will be rotated, i

against the resista-nce of the springs 39, to such relative degrees that the gatings ot the several tumblers will be brought into alignment with each other and with the -gatings of the spacers, vto receive the fence 23, which latter will be caused to enter said gatings by the action ot the light spring 24.

The 'fence 23 is mounted in a slot 42 (open at one end 42a) in a cylindrical carrier 43 disposed loosely within the fixed shell sleeve 19 and in a manner to surround the stacked tumbler structure. The fence 23 is beveled at its respective ends as indicated at 23n and 23b and the inner end of the slot 42 may be beveled' as shown in Figure 3. The stacked tumbler structure and fence lcarrier are so mounted that they are capable of limited endwse movement and the beveled ends of the Jfence are cooperable, respectively, with a beveled peripheral portion 44 of the key plate 25 and a beveled face 45 on the pe ripheral portion of theend plate ot' the tumbler structure.

Normally, the fence 23 will be disposed, partly `in the slot 42 of the carrier 43 and partly in the slot 22 in the liXed lining sleeve 19, so that the fence carrier will be locked against rotation. A head 46 is mounted in the inner end of the sleeve or tence carrier 43 and prevented from turning relatively thereto by flanges 47 projecting from said head entering suitable notches in the end of the sleeve or carrier. The head 4G is also Vsecured to the sleeve or carrier by set screws, as indicated at 47a.

Because of the fact that the key plug of i the mechanism is concentric with the cylinder, (instead of eccentric to the axis ot the cylinder' as in Vpin tumbler locks), the cam devices whereby motion is imparted from the plug structure (which latter includes the tumbler structure and the fence carrier) comprise relatively movable parts 48 and 49,-the part 48 constituting a guide for the part 49 which is cooperable with the talon of the bolt member 2. Theguide member 48 of the cam devices is pivotally mounted near one end on the pin 2l carried by the casing of the cylinder lock and said member 48 is provided with an elongated slot 50 for the accommodation of a screw 51 and its bushing 52, whereby the member 49 is pivotally connected eccentrically with the head 46 of the fence sleeve or carrier 43. By thus constructing the cam device, rotation of the sleeve or carrier 43 and its head` 46. will cause the guide member 48 to osu eillate and the member 49 to reciprocate relatively to the member 48 and (when projected) to mark' thel arc of a circle which will intersect the talon of the bolt and effect the retracting or the projecting of the same.

When a proper key is inserted through the tumblers of the cylinder lock so as to bring their gatings into alignment, the tumbler structure and fence carrier will be moved longitudinally to the positions shown i'n Figure 12 and to an extent sufficient to permit the fence to enter the gatings ot' the tumblers (when said gatings and tence are brought into alignment), the spring 24 serving to press the fence into the gatings. When the fence is thus moved into'the gatings of the tumblers, it will move out of the slot 22 in the fixed cylinder or casing sleeve 19 (thus unlocking the fence carrier 43 from the easing), and lock the tumblers to the fencecarrier, so that when the key is then turned, the tumbler structure and the fence sleeve or carrier will be rotated together and motionl imparted to the cam deintacte vices 48-49 to effect operation of the bolt .structure 2 as previously explained.

When the key is withdrawn from the lock, the tumbler structure and fence carrier will 5 be given a slight forward longitudinal movement, causing the beveled face on the head 33 and the bevel 44 on the key plate 25 respectively, to so co-act with the beveled ends of the fence l23 as to force the latter out of the gatings of the tumbler structure and into the lslot 22 in the xed lining sleeve 19, thus releasing the tumbler structure and locking the fence carrier to the casing. ,The parts will then be in their normal position, with the fence carrier and the cam devices connected therewith, locked -against movement andl the tumbler structure free to rotate. lt will be seen that should an improper key be inserted into ythe lock so that the gatings would not be brought into alignment, the turning-of such -key would merely result in the free turning of the tumbler structure and no motion would be imparted to the fence carrier nor to the cam devices.

l When a proper key is inserted into the lock and turned, the sweep of the cam devices 48-49 will cause the member 49 thereof to depress the tumbler 5 and then engage the talon 4 and withdraw the bolt' 2. The key may then be again turned to cause the cam devices to make another sweep in the same direction as before, and the arm l1' be made adaptable for use of a master keyy by simply providing additional gatings in the disk tumblers to align with thefence,

and the combination of the tumblers may be changed to accommodate them for cooperation with the bitings of the particular key which it may be desired to employ with a particular lock.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention' without departing from, the spirit of the latter or limiting its scope and hence l 'do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what li claim as new ard desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is n l. ln a lock mechanism, the combination with bolt mechanism, of a cylinder lock comprising a cylindrical casing and key controlled mechanism rotatable therein and having its axis of rotation coincident with the axis of said cylindrical casing, and caml devices comprising relativel movable and pivoted to said casing and the other member pivotally connected with the rotatable key controlled mechanism.

2. In a lock mechanism, the combination with bolt and latch mechanism, of cylinder lock mechanism-comprising a casing and a `en successive rotation, the sweep of the cam devices will cooperate with the bolt mechanism to withdraw the bolt and subsequently yvitlli1 the latch mechanism to withdraw the atc '3. In lock mechanism, the combination with, bolt mechanismincluding a talon and a tumbler, latch mechanism including a lever pivotally connected with the bolt-mechanism and connections between said lever and ,the latch of the latch mechanism, of a cylinder lock comprising a casing ano a rotatable key-,controlled mechanism and cam devices includin relatively movable and cooperable mem ers, one of said members pivotally connected with the casing and the other member having eccentric pivotal connection with the rotatable key controlled mechanism, whereb when said last-mentioned mechanism 1s rotated, one of said cam members will depress the tumbler and engage the talon of the bolt mechanism to withdraw the bolt and whereby when said key controlled mechanism is again rotated in the same direction, said cam devices will latch.

4. In lock mechanism, the combination withla casing and rotatable key-controlled Iengage said lever and eifect retracting of the mechanism mounted therein so as to be Y coaxial with said casing, of cam devices comprising relatively movable eooperable` members, one of said members constituting a guide for the other and having an elongated slot, the guide member pivotally connected with the casing, and means extending through said elongated slot and pivotally connecting the other member eccentrically with the rotatable key-controlled mechanism.`

5. lin lock mechanism, the combination with a casing, of disk key controlled tumbleim mechanism normall freely rotatable within the casing, a rotata le member, a fence normally locking said rotatable member to the casing, and means to cause said fence to enter aligned gatings of the disk tumblers and simultaneously unlock said rotatable member from 'the easing and lock -it to the tumblers. so that said rotatable member and tumbler mechanism may be rotated together by manipulation of the key. l

engagement with the casing and into ali gned gatlngs of the'tumblers, and means whereby the fence will be moved out of the gatings ot' the tumblers and into locked engagement with the casing during withdrawal oi' a key from the tumbler mechanism.

7. In lock mechanism, the combinatlon with a casing, of key-controlled disk-tumbler mechanism eoaxially mounted in said casing and normally free to turn, said tumbler mechanism being capable of limited longitudinal movement, arotatable member interposed between the tumbler mechanism and the casing, a spring pressed tence carried by said rotatable member tor cooperation with the tumbler mechanism and normally in locked engagement with the casing, and means operable by longitudinal movement of the tumbler mechanism to move the fence out of engagement with' the tumbler mechanism and into locked relation to the casing and to permit the fence to be pressed out of locked relation to the casing and into the gatings of the tumbler mechanism,

8. In lock mechanism, the combination with a'casing, of key controlled disk tumbler mechanism co-axially mounted in said casing and normally free to turn, a rotatable member interposed between said tumbler mechanism and casing and having a slot, said tumbler mechanism and rotatable member mounted to have limited longitudinal movement, a spring-pressed `fence located in the slot in said rotatable member and normally in locked relation to the casing, said fence having beveled ends, said casing carrying a beveled part cooperable With one beveled end of the fence and the tumbler mechanism carrying a part movable therewith and having a beveled face to cooperate with the other beveled end of the fence.`

9. In lock mechanism, the combination with a casing, a rotatable member therein, and a fence carried by said rotatable member and having normal locked relation to the casing to lock said rotatable member, of disk tumbler mechanism mounted coaxially within said rotatablegmember, saidtumbler mechanism including a plurality of disk tumblers, means whereby said tumblers are axially mounted, each disk tumbler having a key opening at one side of its center and also having a segmentalA slot, a pin passing lthrough thesegmental slots of the tumblers,

and a spring loca-ted in the segmental slot of each tumbler and bearing at one end against one end of said slot and at the other end against-said pin, and means whereby said fence carried by the rotatable member may be caused to move out of locked relation tothe tumblers and into locked relation to the casivng and vice versa.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

4 ELI EPSTEIN. Witnesses:

'CHARLES A. BERRY,

WALTER M. MrroHELL. 

